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5 undefeated teams remain as we head into week 4 of the NFL season. I went 9-7 a week ago, bringing my season total to 26-22.

Bye Week: Philadelphia and Green Bay

Thursday Night Football

Dolphins @ Bengals: Miami barely squeaked by the Browns last week, while the Bengals were beat down by the defending champs at home. The Dolphins got a big day from Jarvis Landry, but inconsistency continues to plague Ryan Tannehill, who threw a pick six in the win. Cincinnati got their running game going, but still lost to 1-2 for the first time in five years. After two very good weeks, Andy Dalton couldn’t do much against the Broncos defense. I like the Bengals at home with another good rushing game to get their second win of the season. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday Morning Football

Colts @ Jaguars: London here they come! Indianapolis got their first win of the season last week, while Jacksonville is still looking for theirs. Andrew Luck has the uncanny ability to turn a bad day into a big day passing the ball, but the Jaguars defense isn’t the problem so far, so he’ll need help. Blake Bortles on the other hand, has been pretty awful for Jacksonville in his third year under center. So what happens this weekend across the pond? Give me a cleaner day from Luck to lift the Colts. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Bills @ Patriots: Three different quarterbacks have started for New England, but that hasn’t stopped the winning. And as for the Bills, they got their first win over a team many think, myself included, are a playoff team destined for a deep run. Both teams got big two-touchdown games out of their number 1 running backs, so look for another day of running the clock. The Patriots have to get through one more week without Tom Brady, and while they’ve done a great job doing so, and are very, very good at home, I’m taking the road team in this one. BUFFALO WINS

Titans @ Texans: It was a very bad week for Houston, who not only lost their Thursday game versus New England 27-0, they learned that JJ Watt re-injured his back and will be out the rest of the year. Tennessee’s week wasn’t much better, as they scored just 10 points in their loss to Oakland. Both teams enter action having scored the same amount of points through 3 games, but of course that’s skewed with the Texans O-fer last weekend. Marcus Mariota and Brock Osweiler have both thrown 4 interceptions so far this season, so whoever can limit mistakes has the edge. A Titans win puts them in a tie for the division early. But I don’t think they get it, because I like the Texans skill position players better. HOUSTON WINS

Lions @ Bears: The Lions are 1-2, but haven’t struggled in the passing game, as Matthew Stafford has found a new weapon in Marvin Jones after Calvin Johnson called it a career in the off-season. The silver lining there for the 0-3 Bears is that their defense has actually done okay against the pass so far this season. Chicago got a pretty good game out of Brandon Hoyer, who finished 30-49 for 317 yards, though most of that came with the game out of hand already. Both teams have the ability to get the points in the air, and with two middling defenses, that shouldn’t be a problem. So this game will be won in the trenches, and the edge there lies with the Lions. DETROIT WINS

Panthers @ Falcons: Carolina is another team I thought would have a great season, but has disappointed so far. Thanks to the struggles of the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South, Atlanta finds themself atop the division early on in the season. This dispite allowing 31, 28 and 32 points in their first three games. The Falcons may not be getting sustained success in their ground game early, they are getting it when it counts. Tevin Coleman has just 110 yards on the ground, but has 4 rushing touchdowns, including 3 on Sunday in New Orleans. Carolina entered action red-hot at home dating back to 2014, but we shut down by a red-hot Vikings defense a week ago. I still believe in the Panthers defense, and as hot as Atlanta has been, I think Carolina gets the win on the road.CAROLINA WINS

Seahawks @ Jets: The good news for Jets fans? Ryan Fitzpatrick can only be better than he was a week ago. The bad news? He has to be a lot better against the top defense in the league. After scoring just 3 points against L.A. in week 2, the Seahawks exercised some demons putting up 37 against the Niners. Russell Wilson was hobbled in the game, but still managed to leave with a nice lead. Big games from Christine Michael and Doug Baldwin helped get the offense back on track. New York can solace in the fact that they have had a pretty good run game all season, and while some of it came in garbage time, Seattle did allow the Niners to get over 130 yards on the ground, finding pay dirt twice. This shouldnt be as ugly for the Jets as it was last week, but it will still be a loss. SEATTLE WINS

Raiders @ Ravens: Baltimore finds itself among the undefeated teams heading into week 4, in large part thanks to their defense and a good day from kicker Justin Tucker. The Ravens are second in total defense through 3 weeks of play. Their opponents won their 2nd game by forcing three turnovers, with a sack after entering week 3 having allowed the Saints and Falcons to walk all over them. So based on defenses, Baltimore should have an easy win. But I actually like Oakland’s offense a lot more, and as someone who thinks this is a playoff team, I’ll take the Raiders in the upset. OAKLAND WINS

Browns @ Redskins: Cleveland should’ve gotten their first win of the season in Miami a week ago, but an inability to stop the air attack, and three missed field goals left them at 0-3. They gave themselves a shot, but couldn’t take it. Cody Kessler’s first career start wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good for Cleveland, though at this point, coming out healthy is huge for the Browns. Washington did get their first win, taking down the Giants on the road. After a couple lackluster offensive weeks, Kirk Cousins let it loose and got a number of big plays in the passing game to help get that first win and move back in the right direction to defend their NFC East title. So can the Browns get their first win this week? Yes. Will they? I don’t think so. They stayed in last week thanks to mistakes by Tannehill, but Cousins won’t make those same mistakes. WASHINGTON WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Broncos @ Buccaneers: The Superbowl Champs are showing no signs of slowing down as they look to start the season 4-0. Denver got off to a slow start last week against the Bengals, but came on strong late thanks to a big day from rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian. Siemian threw four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter for the win. Not to be outdone, the Broncos are a top flight defense that held down Andy Dalton and their rushing attack. They’ve got another tough test when they take on Jameis Winston this weekend. The Bucs 2nd year quarterback is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes so far with 8, though he has thrown six picks to. It won’t be a blowout, none of Denver’s games really have been, but it will be another win for the Broncos. DENVER WINS

Rams @ Cardinals: I’m shocked at the start the Cardinals are having at just 1-2. Carson Palmer has had a bad TD-turnover ratio through 3 weeks. Arizona isn’t getting quite out of David Johnson on the ground, while their defense is allowing the 5th most rushing yards per game. This is as good a week as any to get back to what they want to do in all phases as they take on their division rival Rams, who find themselves tied atop the division at 2-1. Los Angeles has rebounded nicely from a shutout on opening day, winning their last two games. The Rams tend to play up or down to their opponents, evident by a 9-3 home win over Seattle and a 37-32 shootout on the road in Tampa Bay. Going off those results, I’ll take the Cardinals at home in what should be a close game throughout between these two West foes. ARIZONA WINS

Cowboys @ Niners: Dallas couldn’t have asked for more from rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot through three weeks. The Tony Romo-less Cowboys were a game-winning field-goal away from being 3-0 right now. Dez Bryant has a hairline fracture in his knee but is still expected to play this weekend. San Francisco was manhandled in week 3, and still isn’t making a change back to Colin Kaepernick. The biggest thing the Niners have going for them is Carlos Hyde has looked pretty good. I like what the Caowboys have done this season, but I have a feeling about San Fran this week. It might be a bad feeling, but I’m rolling with it.SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Saints @ Chargers: It’s still early, but the Saints need to start picking up some wins quickly if they want to make the playoffs as I predicted they would as a wildcard team in the NFC. The offense hasn’t been the problem. Drew Brees is already over a 1,000 yards passing, with an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio, though that one interception last week was a fourth quarter pick six for Brees. New Orleans defense hasn’t been been able to stop anyone, as they’ve allowed the 2nd most total yards. Worst at stopping the run, that’s where the Chargers will need to take advantage this week. But without Danny Woodhead, San Diego needs Melvin Gordon to get going, so this is the perfect opportunity for that. I like Philip Rivers, but I like Drew Brees more. Give me the road team to get win number 1 this week. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Chiefs @ Steelers: What a defensive performance put on by the Chiefs this past week! Two defensive touchdowns and six interceptions helped Kansas City get the easy win over the Jets. The offense wasn’t great, but they didn’t need to be with that showing on defense. Alex Smith continued to show his game management skills, and why Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league right now. They’ve got a desperate Steelers team thsi week, who didn’t score a touchdown in a week 3 beatdown by the Eagles. After two very good weeks, DeAngelo Williams was stymied on the ground, so the rushing attack will gladly welcome back Le’Veon Bell from suspension this week. The biggest test for the Kansas City defense will be stopping Antonio Brown, but I don’t think it will matter much even if he does have a big day. KANSAS CITY WINS

Monday Night Football

Giants @ Vikings: This should be a battle of two unbeatens, but a late game collapse left the Giants at 2-1 heading into today. Too many penalties, a couple late turnovers and allowing Washington to open up the field multiple times led to the home loss for New York. They lost Shane Vereen to a triceps injury as well. Eli Manning and company need to do more in the passing game, and they have the capability with three wide receivers. The bad news for New York is that the Vikings are running on all cylinders right now. Their defense has been relentless through three weeks, and despite losing starting QB Teddy Bridgewater before the season started, the offense has been very good. Sam Bradford has come in and fit in better in two weeks then he’s done in the first few seasons of his career. It’s going to be tough for the Giants on the road, but I like New York will figure things out and get back in the win column. NEW YORK WINS

We’ve reached week 3 of the season, and still have 8 undefeated and 8 winless teams. There have also been a lot of big injuries early that will have a big impact on week 3 and beyond. As for my picks, I’m 18-14 through 2 weeks. Here’s what I’m thinking going into week 3.

Thursday Night Football

Texans @ Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo left with a shoulder injury for New England, who still managed to move to 2-0. This was thanks in large part to Garoppolo’s 3 touchdown passes before his injury as well as a big performance from LeGarrett Blount in the run game. The Texans took down the Chiefs on the strength of their defense to move to 1-1, a stark difference from their 33-0 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. Without Garoppolo, I think the Texans will do enough to get another win to start off the week 3 action. HOUSTON WINS

Sunday 1pm Games

Ravens @ Jaguars: Baltimore got very lucky in week 2, as they overcame a 20-0 1st quarter deficit to improve to 2-0. Cleveland never scored again, while Joe Flacco brought his team back with a 25-45, 302 yard performance. Their opponents have been disappointing to me so far. While I didn’t think the Jaguars were going to make the playoffs this season, I thought they’d be better than they’ve shown, starting 0-2 again after They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers. BALTIMORE WINS

Lions @ Packers: Both teams enter 1-1 after losing in week 2, and are looking to keep pace with the 2-0 Vikings. The Packers lost their game in the 4th quarter, turning the ball over twice, while allowing Rodgers to be sacked 5 times. Detroit also lost their game in the 4th quarter when they were outscored 13-0 by the Titans, including a 93-yard game winning drive. The Lions didn’t have a go to back in week 2, losing Ameer Abdullah to an injury. So who gets back in the win column this week? I’ll take the Packers at home with a much-needed big day from Eddie Lacy. GREEN BAY WINS

Redskins @ Giants: Washington won the NFC East a year ago, but have opened up this season 0-2. Struggles in the red zone and an inability to force turnovers meant a loss in a back-and-forth affair with Dallas last week. New York’s offense moved up and down the field pretty easily on Sunday, but also struggled in the redzone, and had too many turnovers in the 1st half. But the defense and special teams stepped up and they moved to 2-0. So who takes this division matchup? Give me the home team to get over their redzone struggles and take advantage of Eli Manning’s league leading completion percentage, which should be even better as the Giants receiving core dropped at least 5 balls in week 2. NEW YORK WINS

Browns @ Dolphins: For the 5th week in a row (dating back to last season), Cleveland will be starting a different QB. Someone should tell them this isn’t baseball, there’s no starting rotation in football. Even with the QB carousel, the Browns almost, and should have, pulled out their first win in week 2. They were up 20-2 on the Ravens, thanks in big part to their ground attack, but fell late. Miami isn’t in any better a position than their week 3 opponents, as they enter action at 0-2 as well. The Dolphins were down big early to the Pats, but made a comeback after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury. Cleveland will be in this game until the end because Miami has had issues stopping the run early. But even of Isaiah Crowell goes big on the ground, I still think they pull out the win at home. MIAMI WINS

Vikings @ Panthers: Minnesota will now be without their starting QB and running back for the rest of the season after Adrian Peterson went down in their game on Sunday night. The Vikings defense looked stong against Aaron Rogers in week 2. As for Carolina, they rebounded offensively in week 2, but they still struggled a bit on defense, allowing the Niners to score 27. They’ll be without their running back Jonathan Stewart, but were picked up by Fozzy Whittaker on the ground. Despite the 27 points allowed, I like the Panthers chances of stopping Sam Bradford and the new Vikings weapon and league receiving yards leader Stefon Diggs. CAROLINA WINS

Broncos @ Bengals: Andy Dalton has gotten off to a nice start this season, leading the league with 732 passing yards, so here’s a good test for the Broncos league leading defense. CJ Anderson is having a good start to the season, and we’ve seen the Bengals give up the most rushing yards per game to start the season, so he should be able to help eat a lot of clock for Denver. DENVER WINS

Cardinals @ Bills: Arizona rebounded from a tough week 1 loss by handily beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cardinals led the league in total offense, while the Bills dropped to 0-2 despite putting up 31 points of their own in week 2. Buffalo has let their offensive coordinator go, so they really need this game. Too bad I don’t think they’ll get it. Look for a big game from running back Daniel Johnson. ARIZONA WINS

Raiders @ Titans: Oakland has not been able to stop anyone through two weeks, something I wasn’t expecting, allowing 70 points so far. Tennessee has actually done a very nice job on defense. Both teams are 1-1 heading into this game, but I still like the Raiders better. The Titans offense hasn’t shown the big play ability the Raiders have, so Oakland should be able to hold them down better than they did with New Orleans and Atlanta. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425pm Games

Rams @ Buccaneers: LA’s defense showed up in week 2, Tampa’s did not. The difference between these two teams is the offense. While the Bucs went from scoring 4 TDs to 1, I feel more confident about their offense than the Rams, who have scored just 9 points in two games. The best chance the Rams have is if their defense can do what it did a week ago, and good game out of Todd Gurley. That being said, I’ll take the home team in this one. TAMPA BAY WINS

49ers @ Seahawks: This is a big (albeit early) NFC West battle between two 1-1 teams. San Francisco followed up a surprise week 1 win with a defensive breakdown against Carolina. Seattle had one of their worst offensive games in this recent stretch of Superbowl quality teams, scoring just a field goal against the L.A. Rams. I can’t see the Seahawks being held down again, especially by the Niners. Russell Wilson should be able to dominate in this one. SEATTLE WINS

Steelers @ Eagles: I never thought this would be a game where both teams have a chance to move to 3-0, but here we are. DeAngelo Williams has been huge for Pittsbrgh in the abscense of Le’Veon Bell, who is out one more week due to suspension. Philadelphia has gotten about as good as you can ever hope to from a rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz, who hasn’t turned the ball over yet. It should be a good game, but I will go with the experience in this one.PITTSBURGH WINS

Jets @ Chiefs: Two teams I picked to make the playoffs in the AFC face off in Kansas City this weekend. New York picked up their first win last week, thanks to the offense. Off-season acquisition Matt Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, and three rushing touchdowns. Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall both finished with 100 receiving yards as well. The Jets defense wasn’t as impressive as it was week 1. The Chiefs hope that’s the case again this week, as they couldn’t get much of anything started against Houston. A lot went right for New York last week, and I can’t see them doing quite that well against Kansas City’s defense as they did against Buffalo. If this were a home game for the Jets I might choose differently, but it’s a home game for the Chiefs, so I’ll go with them this week. KANSAS CITY WINS

Chargers @ Colts: San Diego is 2-0, Indianapolis is 0-2. I really thought that the Colts would be able to do better than they have on defense, but they haven’t. San Diego has looked very good on offense to start this season, Indy has been very up and down. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Bears @ Cowboys: Chicago is 0-2 despite holding early leads in both week 1 and week 2. And now they’ll be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a thumb injury. Their best hope to beat the Cowboys is to continue limiting the passing game, as the Bears rank 4th in the NFL allowing 224 yards a game. As for Dallas, they picked up their first win thanks to another clean day from Dak Prescott and a big night on the ground. The Boys were already a better team than the Bears before the Cutler injury, so give me Dallas at home to move to 2-1. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Falcons @ Saints: Atlanta picked up their first win against an impressive Raiders team in week 2, while New Orleans dropped to 0-2 after a game winning field goal by the Giants. Atlanta hasn’t had any problems scoring this season, but their defense has struggled at times. New Orleans’ defense was much better in week 2, forcing 3 turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. I picked the Saints to make the playoffs, so this is a huge game for them. If they want to get their first win, they have to figure out how to run the ball. The Falcons tend to be very inconsistent, so give me New Orleans at home in a shootout. NEW ORLEANS WINS

So there were a lot of strange happenings last week in the National Football League. A bunch of last play games, a lot of statement games and a number of big injuries. Not to mention a record breaking performance from one Peyton Manning, and the number of winless teams moving to just 1.

Took a step back this week at 7-8. Two of those wins came on final second scores by Washington and Buffalo to save me from a truly terrible week of picks. Time to rebound. Giants and the 49ers are on their byes this week.

Thursday Night Football

Chargers @ Broncos: The two best teams in the AFC West get this week’s slate of games started. San Diego lost just it’s second gmae of the season to another division foe a week ago, while Denver saw Peyton Manning’s record breaking 509th TD pass in a blowout win over the 49ers on Sunday night. It’s still early, but this game is more important for the Chargers who have yet to have their bye, and a loss would give them 3 losses to the Broncos 1. That being said, while I think they are well-matched, Denver has the edge at home. DENVER WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Lions @ Falcons: Detroit’s defense saved them from another home loss a week ago, where as Atlanta continues to struggle, particularly on defense. Matt Ryan has needed all the help he could get from that side of the football, but hasn’t gotten it consistently. This may not be a high scoring affair, but much as it did in week 7, I think the Lions defense more than their offense wins this game for them. DETROIT WINS

Vikings @ Buccaneers: Minnesota let one slip away on the road in week 7. The Bucs are coming off their bye week losers of two straight. So what gives in this one? It’s going to be ugly, maybe the worst game of the week, and I think it ends with a road win for the Vikings, who at least know how to play some defense. MINNESOTA WINS

Bills @ Jets: Buffalo pulled off the last second comeback win a week ago, but it came with a price. They lost both halves of their high powered rushing attack in CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson. But Kyle Orton and Sammy Watkins with a little help from their defense got them over the .500 mark. As for their AFC East rivals, the Jets lost their 6th straight, falling by just 2 points to the Patriots on Thursday night. New York looked better in some ways then they have in a while, but still ended up with another loss. I want to say that forcing the Bills into a pass first game would be good for the Jets, but their secondary has been horrendous. I also want to say that the Bills defense can do a number on Geno Smith. So which team am I picking? I picked New York to make the playoffs before the season, and while that would take a lot to happen, I am going to think if there’s a game they can win on their schedule, I think it has be this one. NEW YORK WINS

Bears @ Patriots: Chicago is a mess both on the field and off, while the Patriots continue to prove early season doubters wrong. There is a question of a lack of trust between Jay Cutler and his receiving core, which can be explosive. New England wasn’t sharp on Thursday Night against the Jets, but made the plays when they needed to. Another home game to prove themselves against a team in shambles usually means a win for Tom Brady and company. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Seahawks @ Panthers: Is it time for the defending champs to panic? Probably. Is it time for Carolina, also a playoff team a year ago to panic? Yes. Seattle has an improved Arizona team to deal with in its own division, while the Panthers are just lucky the Saints have gotten off to such a terrible start. The Seahawks are in better shape though, despite shipping out the dynamic Percy Havin and losing two straight for the first time in two years. They know how to win and aren’t having major struggles on either side of the football. It’s the Carolina defense that has been very disappointing so far. And even though they are at home, I have more faith in the defending champs. SEATTLE WINS

Dolphins @ Jaguars: Ryan Tannehill and the fins took advantage of a trouble Chicago squad to move to .500. Tannehill was efficient, connecting on his first 14 passes in route to the road win. Now they take on a Jacksonville squad that finally picked up their first win of the season over a much improved Cleveland team. Denard Robinson broke out for 127-yards on the ground and a score to help Blake Bortles get his first career win. I like Miami and the progress Tannehill is showing, but you can’t say enough for a team that isn’t playing for much and knows how to win now. So I like the Jags to get another win this week. JACKSONVILLE WINS

Ravens @ Bengals: Baltimore’s offense continues to shine without Ray Rice in the backfield, and it’s helped them build a lead in the AFC North over their week 8 opponents. Cincinnati has looked bad since their week 4 bye, with the low point a shutout a week ago in Indianapolis. I liked the Bengals to win this division before the season, and if they have hopes of doing so, this is a must win game. So give me the home team to bounce back, because they have to. CINCINNATI WINS

Texans @ Titans: Both teams had a chance to pick up wins in week 7, but neither capitalized. But looking at the overall picture, Houston has been the far superior team on both sides of the football, so I think they get back on track, picking up a big road win in Tennessee. HOUSTON WINS

Rams @ Chiefs: St. Louis feels really good about themselves coming off a win over the defending champs. Sure they almost blew a big lead, but they held on and showed something late. That being said, the Chiefs win in week 7 was even more impressive against a hotter Chargers squad. So give me KC to continue a good month of sports in Missouri. KANSAS CITY WINS

Sunday 4/4:25PM Games

Eagles @ Cardinals: This is the game I am looking forward to most this weekend. Two of the best teams in the NFC that both enter action at 5-1. The key to this one? Philly’s quick paced offense versus Arizona’s defense, which is allowing less than 20 points a game. Even deeper, Arizona has the best rush defense in the game, going against duel threat LeSean McCoy, that could be where the game is won or lost for either side. So who team flies higher, extends their win streak to 3 and improves to a sparkling 6-1? Give me the red birds at home. ARIZONA WINS

Colts @ Steelers: Remember when Indy started off 0-2 and everyone was freaking out? Yeah, me neither. Andrew Luck has this team on a 5-game win streak, and the Colts are coming off a complete team win, an impressive shutout of the Bengals. Pittsburgh is also coming off a win, a much-needed one. It wasn’t super impressive, but they did score 24-unanswered late to upset the Texans on the road. So the Steelers feel a little bit better about themselves, but I just can’t pick against the red hot Colts, even on the road. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Raiders @ Browns: Oakland needs a win, but so do the Browns after a bad loss to the Jaguars last week.Going into the season I would’ve thought this was a battle for the number 1 seed. But it’s not. The Browns are better than last season, and they just looked bad on the road last week. I think they can bounce back and keep the Raiders looking at a winless season. CLEVELAND WINS

Sunday Night Football

Packers @ Saints: Aaron Rodgers is the reigning offensive player of the week for the red hot Packers. New Orleans had a chance to get a much needed win on the road in Detroit to move to .500, but they couldn’t hold on and dropped to a surprising 2-4. I think the Superdome gets LOUD this week and gets Drew Brees and company going. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Monday Night Football

Redskins @ Cowboys: Did you know that Colt McCoy still exists? Yeah, neither did the Titans defense. Washington broke their slide on a last second field-goal, but it wasn’t an impressive game. Dallas is now on a 6-game win streak and don’t look like they are going to slow down any time soon. So give me the Boys at home to improve to a very surprising 7-1. DALLAS WINS

We’ve passed the half-way point, and there are still a couple team looking for a their first win, and the Chiefs remain unbeaten, despite teams best efforts.

6 more teams were off this week: New York, Detroit, Jacksonville, Denver, Arizona and San Francisco.

NFC EAST (A Strange Thing Happened- Everyone Not on a Bye Won)

Cowboys: They never make it easy, almost losing to a one win Minnesota team at home. But Tony Romo shook off a late interception to drive his team to a late second game winning touchdown to Dwayne Harris. Jason Witten had a good day, catching 8 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Their rush defense couldn’t slow down Adrian Peterson, but they did a good job on Christian Ponder in the pass game.(5-4)

Eagles: Nick Foles really doesn’t want to give up his starting job. He only threw for 7 touchdowns, tying an NFL record with 6 other QBs (Peyton Manning did this in the season opener). Wide-receiver Riley Cooper was the beneficiary of 3 of those touchdowns, finishing with 139 yards receiving. Not to be outdone, Desean Jackson finished with 150 yards and a touchdown on the day. This after a few weeks of struggles on offense, and against a previously top 10 ranked defense in Oakland. (4-5)

Redskins: It took overtime, but Washington was able to pick up a win and stay on pace with the rest of their division mates. As if they needed more weapons on the ground, with RGIII and Alfred Morris on the roster, full-back Darrell Young emerged and found the end-zone 3 times, including the game winner. Entering action, Young had only carried the ball twice this season. Add 121 more yards from Morris, and you have why this team survived the Chargers comeback attempt.(3-5)

Giants: Bye Week. (2-6)

NFC NORTH (These Teams Can Score With Anyone)

Packers: A division loss bigger than most. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a what turned out to be a fractured collarbone on Green Bay’s opening drive, and is expected to miss at least 3 weeks. Seneca Wallace didn’t do much in his absence, completing just 11 of 19 passes for 114 yards and an interception. Rookie runner Eddie Lacy did all he could to make up for the Rodgers injury, picking up 150 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The loss snaps a 6-game win streak over NFC North opponents. (5-3)

Lions: Bye Week. (5-3)

Bears: No Jay Cutler. No problem. Back-up Josh McCown had a good day, throwing for 272 yards and two touchdowns, and no turnovers. Brandon Marshall had a big day receiving, catching 7 passes for 107 yards and a score. The wide-out was only outdone by back Matt Forte, who ran for 125 and a score. Defensive end Shea McClellin had 3 of Chicago’s 4 sacks on the night.(5-4)

Vikings: They had a chance to pick up their 2nd win of the year, but they left too much time on the clock for the Dallas offense. Adrian Peterson woke up, rushing for a 140 yards and a score. Ponder added another score on the ground, and threw one to tight-end Kyle Rudolph, who left late with a foot injury. 3 sacks on the day, including two by Brian Robison. Make it 4 straight in the loss column. (1-7)

NFC SOUTH (New Orleans Has Company)

Saints: If you’ve got a good front 7, you can beat this team. Losing Darren Sproles in the 1st quarter, and being without franchise TD leader Marques Colston didn’t help, but there are too many weapons on this team to lose to an inconsistent Jets team. But it happened, thanks in large part to two Drew Brees interceptions and a lack of a run game following the Sproles injury. (6-2)

Panthers: Cam Newton wasn’t as mistake free as he’s been, but it didn’t stop Carolina from picking up their fourth straight win. Newton threw two interceptions, and just one touchdown, but he did run one in. The defense is a big reason for the win, pitching a shutout in the 2nd half, and picking off Matt Ryan 3 times. Cornerback Drayton Florence returned one of those interceptions for a 38-yard touchdown. Fullback Mike Tolbert scored his 5th TD during the win streak.(5-3)

Falcons: So much for this team making a run. Another 3 Matt Ryan picks meant another loss for a team with superbowl aspirations. Steven Jackson had his first rushing touchdown as falcon, but littleness can be found in the bright spot category for Atlanta. Much like Houston in the AFC, this team is a big disappointment.(2-6)

Buccaneers: They managed to carry a 21-3 lead into the halfe time break against a very good Seahawks team on the road. but then the Seattle defense picked up and their bid for win number 1 came to an end in overtime. (0-8)

NFC WEST (Seattle Hasn’t Looked Great Lately, But Keeps On Winning)

Seahawks: For the 2nd week in a row, this didn’t look like the best team in the NFC, but luckily for them, they weren’t playing high caliber teams. They put themselves in a big hole early against the winless Bucs, and needed an extra frame to finish them off. A big reason for the win was the contributions of Golden Tate on punt returns and Marshawn Lynch in the run game. (8-1)

49ers: Bye Week. (6-2)

Cardinals:Bye Week. (4-4)

Rams: It took til week nine, but this team finally picked up their first rushing touchdown of the season. It was apart of a second consecutive 100-yard game from rookie Zac Stacy, who finished with 127 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns. Too bad for St. Louis, it wasn’t enough. Kellen Clemens was mediocre, throwing for 210 and a score, but he did lose a fumble. Their defense did get to interceptions, and record 3 sacks.(3-6)

AFC EAST (Looking Like A Two Team Race)

Patriots: They tied an NFL season high with 55 points, and had a big day on the ground and in the air. Tom Brady had 252 passing yards in the 1st half alone, more than 5 of his first 8 games this season. He finished with 432 and four touchdowns, including a 2 to Aaron Dobson and 1 to Rob Gronkowski, both who finished with over 100 yards receiving Danny Amendola also tallied a 100+ yard game, as did Stevan Ridley, though his work was on the ground. The defense wasn’t spectacular, but you don’t need to be if the offense clicks like it did this time out.(7-2)

Jets: This team continues to play to the level of their opponents, and has still yet to lose or win 2 in a row. They absolutely shut down the Saints on defense, and did a lot of good on offense. Chris Ivory bounced back from a poor week 8 to deliver nearly 140 rushing yards and a touchdown. Geno Smith wasn’t great, but he didn’t turn the ball over either. Nick Foles continues to have a great year kicking the football, making all 4 of his field-goal attempts; he’s now 23 for his last 23, the longest streak in the league. The defense did a good job stopping the run, and limiting the Saints high-powered offense. (5-4)

Dolphins: It wasn’t pretty, but when you snap a 4-game losing streak, all you want is the win. For only the 3rd time in NFL history, Miami won on a safety, thanks to a Cameron Wake sack. It was a strange way to end their skid, but there were a lot of good things Thursday night. The defense was good all night, forcing 3 Bengals turnovers and limiting too many big passing plays, and of course the game winning safety. Ryan Tannehill also had a nice game, especially on the drive late in the 4th to help force overtime.(4-4)

Bills: They managed a season best 470 yards of total offense against a stout defense. But two turnovers in the 2nd half were returned for scores, killing any chance of handing KC their first loss of the year. Jeff Tuel’s pass at the goal line in the opening minutes of the 2nd half was picked off and returned a 100 yards to tie the score at 10. CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson combined for nearly 200 yards on the ground, but no scores. Their defense did a good job, but it wasn’t enough. (3-6)

AFC NORTH (Cincy Isn’t All Defense These Days, But They Are All Alone at the Top)

Bengals: They didn’t play like a team that entered action on a 4-game win streak. To be fair, not many teams fair well on a short week, but after the way this team has been playing on offense, they were almost as bad for much of the game. Two Mike Nuggent field-goals and running back Giovani Bernard wee the scoring offense for Cincy on Thursday. Bernard found the end-zone twice, while fellow back BenJarvis Green-Ellis helped out on the ground in a nice way. Andy Dalton had been so great in the past four, but three picks and taking a game losing safety in OT was a big step backward. This while the defense did an uncharacteristically bad job stopping the Dolphins run game. (6-3)

Browns: Snapping an 11-game losing streak to anyone is nice, but to a division rival, which helps you leap frog them in the standings, is a beautiful thing. Cleveland did a lot of good things against Baltimore, and it all started with Jason Campbell under center. The 31-year-old QB threw 3 touchdowns, 2 to Davone Bess, for 262 yards, while not turning the ball over. Greg Little had a big day, with 122 yards receiving. Cleveland won while getting nothing out of star tight-end Jordan Cameron and very little out the run game.(4-5)

Ravens:The reigning Super Bowl champs countinure to sputter, losing to Cleveland for the first time in the Joe Flacco era. Flacco didn’t have a bad day, throwing for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns to Marlon Brown, but he was picked off once. And you know you have a problem when Flacco leads the team in rushing with 25. Ray Rice continues to struggle mightily on the ground, and this team isn’t the same without him going well. (3-5)

Steelers: You’re not going to win many games when you allow a franchise high in points, especially when it’s to the Patriots. And that’s exactly what happened Sunday at Foxborough. They got down early, and managed to come back to tie the score at 24 in the 3rd quarter, but were outscored 31-7 the rest of the way. Jericho Cotchery benefited from a big day by Ben Roethlisberger, catching 3 touchdown passes, but big Ben also threw 2 picks in the loss. They allowed New England to gain 630 yards of offense. (2-6)

AFC South (The Luck Still Hasn’t Run Out)

Colts: For the 10th time in his young career, Andrew Luck led his team on a fourth quarter comeback. He had some help from breakout receiver TY Hilton, who caught 3 touchdowns. Hilton had really stepped up in the absence of Reggie Wayne. Indy continues to get nothing in the run game, as Trent Richardson continues to struggle since coming over in a trade earlier this year. A couple of two-point conversions on late TDs and a couple of missed Houston field goals helped secure the come from behind win. (6-2)

Titans: Jake Locker was not good, but luckily Chris Johnson picked up the slack on the ground. Locker had only thrown 1 pick all season, but threw two Sunday, though he did score with his legs. The run game was the offense, with Johnson scoring twice, and Shone Green adding another. The defense did enough in the end, and this team is in the hunt, just two games back and two left with Indy, (4-4)

Texans: Case Keenum looked like really good in the 1st half, thanks in large part to Andre Johnson who had nearly 200 yards receiving before the break. The young starter had his team up 21-3 over a good Indianapolis squad heading into the break, then things took a turn for the worse. In a scary moment, head coach Gary Kubiak collapsed as the teams headed to the locker room. He was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons and was treated at the hospital with medicine that’s “designed to break up clots consistent with people who suffer strokes.” Wade Phillips took over head coaching duties, and the team didn’t respond. Randy Bullock missed two field goals and the team was held to just 3 points in the half as the Colts came back yet again They’re now losers of 6 straight. (2-6)

Jaguars: Bye week.(0-8)

AFC WEST (KC Likes Winning So Much They Just Keep Doing It)

Chiefs: Another case of making it hard on themselves, but finding a way to get it done for the leagues remaining unbeaten. Down 10-3 at the half, the defense picked up in the 2nd half to help get them another win. Linebacker Tamba Hali and cornerback Sean Smith both returned turnovers for touchdowns. The offense was non-existent, managing just 210 yards of total offense.(9-0)

Broncos: Bye Week – It wasn’t a quiet week off for Denver, as the learned they’ll be without head coach John Fox for an extended amount of time. The 58-year-old Fox felt light-headed while golfing, went to the hospital, and will have heart surgery. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will take over in his absence. (7-1)

Chargers: With a chance to win in regulation, what they thought was a Danny Woodhead touchdown was ruled down inside the 1. And somehow they couldn’t punch it in. Resulting in a game-tying field goal, and ending in an overtime loss to Washington. Rookie wide-out Keenan Allen continues to impress, catching 8 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Philip Rivers had a bad 1st half, but picked it up in the 2nd half. In the end, the Skins ability to run it in from inside the 10 proved too much. This team continues to be very up and down.(4-4)

Raiders: The defense had been on a role, but they had no answer for the Eagles passing game on Sunday. Their run game led by Terrelle Pryor was good again, with Rashad Jennings getting over 100 yards following an injury to Darren McFadden. But it’s pretty hard to come back from a 28-13 1st half deficit if you yourself cannot throw the ball too well. Sure Pryor finished with 288 yards passing, but couldn’t find the end-zone while throwing two picks. (3-5)

Through 7 weeks, we’re down to 2 win-less teams, while just 1 undefeated squad remains.

New Orleans and Oakland had their byes.

I know it’s the NFL, and injuries are apart of the game, but this week seemed to contain a lot more season ending ones than normal.

NFC EAST (We Have a Winning Team Atop the Division)

Cowboys: Despite many injuries, the defense came to play. They harassed Nick Foles all day, then knocked him out late in the 3rd quarter with an injury. Not to mention holding a high octane offense in Philly to under 300 yards of total offense. A decent day on the ground without DeMarco Murray, along with just enough from Tony Romo and a Phillip Tanner TD run, means a winning record and an NFC East lead all to themselves. Dallas is also now 3-0 in the division. (4-3)

Eagles: Down two quarterbacks following a head injury to Nick Foles, Matt Barkley saw his first action, and it wasn’t a great debut. Three interceptions, no touchdowns for the fourth round pick out of USC. The defense did all they could against the Cowboys, picking off Romo twice, and holding him to one touchdown. The score was just 3-0 boys at the half. (3-4)

Redskins: A good day for the offense, with both Alfred Morris and RGIII running for over 80 yards a piece. Add 298 yards and 2TDs from Griffin to that against a take-a-way happy Bears defense. But this day belonged to Roy Helu Jr, who scored 3 touchdowns, including the game winner with 45 seconds left. Rookie tight-end Jordan Reed had a big day as well, catching 9 passes for a 134-yards including getting into the end-zone once. (2-4)

Giants: It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win, New York’s first of the season. For the third straight game, the Giants defense shutdown a top 5 running back, this time the reigning MVP. And for the first time this season, the defense pitched a shutout, forcing three Vikings turnovers to their one. This while Eli Manning finally played turnover free football. That’s not to say the Giants QB looked great. There were a couple missed picks by the Vikings, to go with some poorly thrown balls and drops, but a turnover free day from the offense is something this team desperately needed. Ruben Randle did lose a fumble on special teams, but made up for it with a 24-yard touchdown catch. Peyton Hillis made an immediate impact running the ball, as did rookie Michael Cox, even if the numbers don’t show it. Philly’s up next before their bye week. (1-6)

NFC NORTH (New Leader, But Still Crowded at the Top)

Packers: Aaron Rodgers and company got off to a fast start against Cleveland, leading 14-0 after the 1st quarter, and they never let up. Rodgers threw for 3 touchdowns, while rookie back Eddie Lacy added another on the ground. They’ve leaped back into first, but it came with a cost. Tight-end Jermichael Finley, who was getting more targets with the loss of Randall Cobb, was carted off the field in the 2nd half after a big helmet-to-helmet hit. As of Monday night, Finley was out of the ICU, had movement in his extremities, and is out indefinitely.(4-2)

Lions: Matthew Stafford had a big day, thanks in large part to his favorite target. He hooked up with Calvin Johnson to the tune of two touchdowns and 155 yards. Stafford ended up over 300 yards, something a passer hadn’t done to the Bengals in 20 games. But it wasn’t enough, as rookie punter Sam Martin shanked a kick late in the game, which set up a Cincy game winning field-goal as time expired. (4-3)

Bears: Devin Hester and Matt Forte were the stars. Hester tied an NFL record with his 19th return touchdown, an 81-yard punt return in the 1st half. Forte ran in for two touchdowns, including a 50-yarder in the 3rd quarter. But the defense had no answer for RGIII and the Redskins, and it didn’t help when they lost Jay Cutler to a groin injury late in the 1st half. They held two short lived leads, including 41-38 late, but it’s hard to win when you allow nearly 500 yards of total offense. (4-3)

Vikings: How Josh Freeman is their best option is quarterback astounds me, but maybe we give the guy a break, as he learns a new system. But what I really want to know is how a game changer like Adrian Peterson only ran the ball 13 times. I get the Giants did a good job stopping him, but he’s the type of back that no matter how a game is going, can rip a long one. And this was a close game throughout. That being said, without a special teams touchdown, there’d be no real positives for this team. Sure they didn’t do terribly on defense, but they also missed a couple opportunities.(1-4)

NFC SOUTH (It’s Still All About the Big Easy)

Saints: Bye Week. (5-1)

Panthers: Another good day from Cam Newton and their defense helped Carolina double up the Rams 30-15. Newton didn’t put up big numbers, throwing for just over 200 yards, but was accurate and smart with the football. The run game was adequate with Newton teaming up with DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert to combine for over 100 yards on the ground. The defense forced two turnovers, racked up 4 sacks and knocked the Rams Sam Bradford from the game. (3-3)

Falcons: Harry Douglas was huge in the absence of Julio Jones and Roddy White. The 5th year pro had seven receptions for a career-best 149 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown catch. The Bucs made it interesting but the defense had its moments, like when safety Williams Moore sacked Mike Glennon to force a fumble on Tampa Bay’s first possession. Safety Thomas DeCoud added a 30-yard TD on a fumble recovery. It was a much needed win for a team many thought had chances at a Superbowl run. (2-4)

Buccaneers: The offense had probably it’s best game of the year, and had a chance in the 4th, but couldn’t muster more than 2 field-goals in the final period. Vincent Jackson continues to put up big numbers, grabbing 10 balls for 138-yards and 2 scores. But in a winless year, things got worse. Tampa Lost star running back Doug Martin for the year to a torn labrum. (0-6)

NFC WEST (The Hawks Continue to Fly Higher than the Rest)

Seahawks: They never trailed Sunday against Arizona, but didn’t pull away until the 2nd half. Seattle played well on both sides of the football. Their defense picked off Carson Palmer twice and dropped the Cards QB 7 times. The offense turned both those turnovers into touchdowns as a part of a 3 score day for Russell Wilson. Wilson did fumble twice, but a fourth touchdown on the ground by Marshawn Lynch helped the hawks pull away. Wide-receiver Sidney Rice found the endzone for the 3rd time in 2013. (6-1)

49ers: The score says they only won by 14, but their fourth straight victory was never really close. Up 17-0 at halftime, it took until the 4th for Tennessee to do anything productive on offense. Colin Kaepernick wasn’t at his best in the air, but on the ground, him and Frank Gore did work. Kaepernick found paydirt once, while Gore scored two rushing TDs. The 49ers special teams added a score, when Kassim Osgood recovered a muffed punt for a touchdown. (4-2)

Rams: Sam Bradford was carted off late in the 4th, and it was revealed that he did in fact tear his ACL, and is lost for the season. But the game was basically over by then thanks in large part to penalties. St Louis was flagged for five personal fouls alone, and defensive end Chris Long was ejected for throwing a punch. Turnovers and a lack of a ground game didn’t help.(3-4)

Cardinals: They kept it close early, but couldn’t avoid losing their 7th divisional game. With absolutely no help on the ground, Palmer was forced to throw the ball 45 times, and managed just one touchdown and two interceptions. Palmer did manage to spread the completions around, with 9 players registering receptions. Jay Feely had a good day kicking the ball, going 3-3 on his field-goals, with a long of 52. (3-4)

AFC EAST (We Have a Race)

Patriots: They rallied late in the 4th to force overtime, but a new league penalty call helped set up New York’s game winner. Chris Jones was called for and unsportsmanlike conduct for pushing a teammate forward in an attempt to block the kick. But the game only went to overtime after New England rallied in the 4th after allowing the Jets to score 17 unanswered in the 3rd. For the 2nd time in 3 games, Tom Brady didn’t throw a touchdown, and threw a pick 6 in the first half. It was the run game and the leg of Stephen Gostkowski that gave them a chance in overtime. Rob Gronkowski had a big day in his season debut, catching 8 Brady passes for 114-yards. (5-2)

Jets: A risky 56-yard field goal attempt in overtime almost gave New England a chance to win it. But the penalty on Jones gave New York new life, and Nick Folk an easier attempt from 42, which he nailed.Geno Smith has yet to lose 2 straight games thanks to their overtime win against the Pats. Chris Ivory with over 100 yards on the ground.(4-3)

Dolphins: It wasn’t the performance you want coming out of your bye week. Down 14-0 early, they managed to take the lead heading into the 4th quarter, but a turnover late set up a game winner for Buffalo. Ryan Tannehill threw 3 touchdowns to lead the comeback, but his three turnovers (two interceptions) led to two Bills scores. After starting out the season 3-0, the fins need to figure some stuff out in an improved division and quick.(3-3)

Bills: The defense won the game for Buffalo. Rookie defensive back Nickell Robey’s pick six on the 3rd play of the game helped them build a big 1st quarter lead. After blowing that 14-0 lead, Mario Williams had the play of the game, a sack forced fumble set up the game winning field goal but none other than former Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter. Carpenter was released by Miami in August. The win snapped a 6 game road losing streak. (3-4)

AFC NORTH (The Cats Have Come to Play)

Bengals: It wasn’t easy, but they did just enough to outlast a high-powered Lions offense. Andy Dalton had a good day, showing he can go deep with an early 82-yard TD strike to AJ Green, as apart of a 3 touchdown, 372-yard passing day. Dalton needed a big day in the air, because he got very little help on the ground. Taking advantage of a short field in regulation, Dalton got into field-goal range, and Mike Nugent kicked the game winner, a 54-yard field-goal as time expired. It was a big win, putting some distance between them and the rest of the league, with both Baltimore and Cleveland losing. It’s also their 2nd straight road win. (5-2)

Ravens: Another day, another close game doesn’t go their way. They managed to come back and tie the Steelers in the 4th, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 3rd loss in their last 4. The defense did it’s job, holding Pittsburgh to mostly field-goals. But once again Ray Rice did nothing on the ground, while Joe Flacco didn’t do much good or bad in the passing game. Justin Tucker continues to be their only consistent offense, going 3-3 on field-goal attempts to keep it close. (3-4)

Browns: Brandon Weedon with another bad start since returning from injury. Cleveland’s QB went just 17-for-42 for 149 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Packers offense was just too much for their defense, which had been rounding into form during their 3 game win streak. Yet another case of a team not getting steady production on the ground, which puts the onus on the quarterback to throw more.(3-4)

Steelers: Shaun Suisham’s leg was the hero, hitting all four of his field-goal attempts, including the 42-yard game winner as time expired. Rookie rusher Le’Veon Bell ran for a career high 98 yards. The defense only dropped Flacco once, but did a good job stopping the run. It’s their 2nd straight win after starting the season 0-4. (2-4)

AFC South (Luck Has Everything To Do With It)

Colts: This team continues to show they’re for real. They have no defeated the Seahawks, 49ers and Broncos, and by an average of over 10 points. It’s hard to win any games against Denver, let alone in Peyton Manning’s return to Indy. But Manning’s replacement shows more and more why he was the number 1 pick in last years draft. Andrew Luck was on point, An MRI confirmed that iconic wide-out Reggie Wayne is done for the year with a torn ACL suffered in Sunday night’s win. (5-2)

Titans: Jake Locker’s return wasn’t enough to save Tennessee from a 2nd straight loss. The offense couldn’t do anything until the 4th quarter, but by then it was too late. Another week, another lack of production from Chris Johnson on the ground, though he did have a nice showing in the pass game. Locker threw for 326-yards, but was sacked 3 times and picked off once in his return from injury. (3-4)

Texans: Making a bad season worse, Houston is now on a 5- game losing streak, and saw both of their tailbacks go down. Arian Foster left in the 1st quarter with a hamstring, then Ben Tate went down early in the 3rd, but he would return. They also saw Brian Cushing go down with a left knee injury. The defense got their first take away, a fumble recovery, since week 4 against Seattle, One of the few positives was the play of Case Keenum at quarterback. He looked steady all game, spreading the ball to many different players, and he didn’t throw any picks, something unique to Texans QBs this season. But little protection late led to a lot of drive killing sacks, as well as the final one on a potential game winning drive which resulted in a lost fumble. But look for Keenum to get another shot after throwing for more yards in a debut by a Texans quarterback. (2-5)

Jaguars: According to NFL.com, their the first team since the 1984 Houston Oilers to lose every game of the season (played so far) by double digits. The Oilers opened the season losing their first 10 this way. After a decent showing against Denver, the offense couldn’t do much of anything. Chad Henne wasn’t awful, throwing for over 300 yards, but he couldn’t find the end-zone, and threw one interception. Maurice Jones-Drew and the run game was non-existent once again. (0-7)

AFC WEST (And Then There Was One)

Chiefs: Don’t look now, but a 2-win team from last season now stands as the last undefeated team and the division leaders. Jamaal Charles ran for 86-yards and a score, while Alex Smith added a rushing score of his own. They got one of their tougher tests from a desperate Texans team, but a strip sack with under two to play by Tamba Hali on rookie quarterback Case Keenum sealed the one point victory. (7-0)

Broncos: They let the Colts jump out early, and they just couldn’t recover. Peyton Manning sure tried to get his team to 7-0, and it looked like it would work. But an interception and a fumble in the fourth quarter meant Denver just didn’t have enough time to complete a comeback. They were down as many as 19, but managed to close the final deficit to 6. Eric Decker went for a season high 150 yards and a touchdown, while the run game continues to force Manning to throw nearly 50 passes. The loss ended their undefeated season and snapped a 17-game regular season win streak. And just like that, they’re not even in first anymore thanks to a great start by KC. (6-1)

Chargers: Ryan Matthews with his second straight 100 yard rushing game, while finding the endzone twice. Phillip Rivers with a good day, going over 30,000 yards passing for his career. The defense did exactly what it should against a team like Jacksonville. They kept the pressure on them and held the Jags to just a pair of field-goals. (4-3)

Raiders: Bye Week.(2-4)

So that’s it. Week 8 is upon us. It gets started in Tampa Bay on Thursday, where Mike Glennon hopes to lead his team to their first win of the year, while Cam Newton hopes to lead his team to a 3rd straight victory. Enjoy it everyone.

6 down. 11 to go. And we still have 3 win-less teams, as well as 2 undefeated squads.

Atlanta and Miami were both on their bye weeks.

NFC EAST (At Least a Couple Teams Are at .500 Now)

Cowboys: A big win on Sunday night, but it came with some costly injuries. Both defensive end Demarcus Ware and running back DeMarco Murray left with injuries. Ware with a pulled quad muscle, and could miss 3-4 weeks; he’s never missed a start since entering the league in 2005. Meanwhile, Murray, who scored the games first touchdown, left with a knee sprain; he’s expected to miss about a week.Dwayne Harris returned a punt for an 86-yard touchdown and set up another Dallas score with a 90-yard kickoff return. Tony Romo had just 170 passing yards a week after his 506 in a loss to Denver. I think he’ll take that trade every time. (3-3)

Eagles: The offense had a huge day, with LeSean McCoy running for 116 yard, while Nick Foles threw for nearly 300 yards and 3 TDs, while running for a 4th, in place of the injured Michael Vick. Desean Jackson caught 2 touchdowns, while Riley Cooper found paydirt once, while racking up 120 receiving yards. It was close early, but the defense held Tampa to just a field goal in the in the 2nd half. (3-3)

Redskins: Robert Griffin III completed less than 50% of his throws, threw no touchdowns and one pick in their loss to Dallas. RGIII did rush for 77 yards, but fumbled twice, losing one. Alfred Morris score their lone offensive touchdown as a part of his 81 yard rushing day. The defense managed just one sack of Romo, but Rob Jackson did take a pick to the house. Their special teams play was a killer, unable to stop Dwayne Harris from putting up big return numbers. (1-4)

Giants: They played their best game of the season, and still managed to lose. Eli Manning threw 2 picks in his first 5 pass attempts, but it was the interception thrown on a possible game winning drive in the 4th quarter that sealed their win-less fate. It was a game that saw Brandon Jacobs run like it was 2008, scoring 2TDs and bringing a much-needed run game back to New York. When a guy like Jacobs turns back the clock like that, you’ve got to find a way to win. But no pass rush to go with turnovers hurt Big Blue once again. It’s the teams first 0-6 start since 1976. (0-6)

NFC NORTH (It’s Crowded At the Top)

Lions: Calvin Johnson made his return after a week off with an injury, but didn’t have a big stat day, as he was used as more of a decoy. Tight-end Joseph Fauria was the beneficiary, catching a career high 3 touchdowns, including the one to seal the victory with 2:01 left to go in regulation. Matthew Stafford threw 3 of his 4 TD passes in the 2nd half to rally his team to victory and keep a share of 1st place. (4-2)

Bears: Brandon Marshall had a huge game in Chicago’s first win since week 3. The team did everything they could to give New York the game in the 4th except turn the ball over, but in the end they held tough and picked off Manning 3 times in the final frame. Tim Jennings got Manning twice, including a 48-yard return for a touchdown on the Giants opening drive. QB Jay Cutler had a good day, with no turnovers and throwing for two scores. (4-2)

Packers: Outside of a 64-yard touchdown strike to Jordy Nelson, Aaron Rodgers didn’t bring his A game on Sunday. But Green Bay held on despite a big fourth quarter comeback attempt by Baltimore. 4 Mason Crosby field goals and 120 yards on the ground by rookie rusher Eddie Lacy helped give the Pack just enough cushion. Despite being without Clay Matthews, their defense held Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense in check, sacking last years Superbowl MVP five times, and holding Baltimore backs to 47 combined yards on the ground. It was their first road win of the year. AJ Hawk was a monster, picking up 3 sacks in the win.(3-2)

Vikings: it was a trying week for Minnesota as they came off their bye. Adrian Peterson played days after the death of his son, while Matt Cassel got the start despite the addition of Josh Freeman at quarterback.Cassel couldn’t make it two wins in a row for his Vikes, throwing 2 interceptions, both of which led to Carolina touchdowns. (1-4)

NFC SOUTH (The Saints Are Still Running Away With It)

Saints: In a dog fight with New England, they left Drew Brees had brought them back from an early 10-point deficit to take a 27-23 lead late in the 4th. But they left too much time on the clock for Tom Brady, losing their first of the year on a last second touchdown. Tight-end Jimmy Graham had entered action averaging over 118 yards receiving a game this season, but was held catch-less, and pulled up lame late in the game. (5-1)

Panthers: They used their bye week well. Cam Newton was spectacular, throwing for 3 scores, and running for a 4th in a 25-point rout of Minnesota.Carolina took advantage of turnovers, and carried an 11-point lead into halftime. (2-3)

Falcons: Bye Week. (1-4)

Buccaneers: Vincent Jackson had a huge day, but they still couldn’t pick up win number 1. The wide-out caught 9 passes for 114 yards and Tampa’s two touchdowns. Mike Glennon didn’t have a bad day either, throwing for two scores and one pick. They just couldn’t stop the Eagles offense, which combined for 412 yards in the air and on the ground. (0-5)

NFC WEST (The Most Improved Division?)

Seahawks: It wasn’t their best performance, but a win is a win. They won this one on the ground, with Marshawn Lynch running for two scores, and racking up 155 all-purpose yards in the process. Richard Sherman did what he does, picking off Ryan Fitzpatrick early in the 4th quarter. Russell Wilson showed once again why he’s one of the top young QB’s in the league, throwing for over 250 yards, no picks and adding 77-yards on the ground. Seattle has now won 11 straight home games, proving they have one of the best home-field advantages in football.(5-1)

49ers: Vernon Davis had an absolute monster of a 1st half, 177 yards and 2 touchdowns, finishing with a career high 180 yards receiving. It was also another banner day for the defense, forcing 4 turnovers for the second straight week. Add another 100 yard rushing game for Frank Gore and a strong day by Colin Kaepernick, and you have another big win for San Francisco. (4-2)

Rams: Talk about a big win. They played well in all facets of the game, scoring on defense and special teams to go along with 3 TD passes from Sam Bradford. Alec Ogletree returned a TJ Yates interception 98 yards to push their lead to 38-6. The defense racked up 5 sacks including 2 by Michael Brockers.(3-3)

Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald gave Arizona a 1st quarter 7-6 lead on a 75-yard catch and run from Carlson Palmer. But then the 49ers took over and the Cardinals couldn’t recover, even getting shut out in the 4th quarter. They turned the ball over 4 times, and also lost star defensive end Calais Campbell to an apparent right leg injury late in the game. (3-3)

AFC EAST (Brady’s Comeback Puts Some Distance Atop the Division)

Patriots: They survived a Tom Brady pick with just over 2 minutes to go. They got the ball back with just over a minute to go thanks to a good stop by Chandler Jones on 3rd down. And with 5 seconds left, Tom Brady hit Kenbrell Thompkins in the end zone to cap off a 70-yard game winning drive. It was a big win a week after Brady was shutout in the touchdown department. Stevan Ridley helped out big time on the ground, finding the end zone twice, and racking up over a 100 yards from scrimmage. (5-1)

Dolphins: Bye Week. (3-2)

Jets: A step back for Rookie Geno Smith and the Jets in their home game against the once win-less Steelers. Smith threw two interceptions, barely got over the 200 yard mark and fumbled once. The offense mustered just two Nick Folk field goals in the first half.(3-3)

Bills: The running game was very balanced on Sunday, with 5 players getting touches, including new starting QB Thad Lewis. Lewis threw for 2 touchdowns, and ran for another in his second career start. 14 points in the 4th quarter forced overtime against Cincinnati, but they fell by a field goal none-the-less. (2-4)

AFC NORTH (Where Almost Everyone is 3-2)

Bengals: it wasn’t pretty, but Cincy got it done in overtime against Buffalo. Up 27-10 heading into the 4th, it looked like it would be an easy win for the Bengals. But 14 unanswered by the Bills sent the game to OT. BenJarvius Green-Ellis and not Giovanni Bernard was the featured back, and he delivered 86 rushing yards. Andy Dalton threw for over 300 yards and broke a two game touchdown-less drought in a big way, finding the end-zone three times. AJ Green did his thing, going over 100 yards again. (4-2)

Ravens: The defense wasn’t the problem Sunday in Green Bay. The offense was shutdown in the first half, and was forced to mount a furious comeback in the 4th, one that came just 2 points shy of being completed. Ray Rice and the run game was not a factor in this one at all, and though Flacco threw for almost 350 and 2 touchdowns, he also fumbled twice, losing one. (3-3)

Browns: Brandon Weedon was not good Sunday in Detroit, and with no help on the ground, Cleveland didn’t have enough to get past the Lions. The newly reinstated starting QB was picked off late on a strange shovel pass when the game was not yet out of reach. Guys like Buster Skrine and TJ Ward had very nice games on defense, while receiver Josh Gordon caught 7 balls for 126 yards. They let a 10-point half-time lead slip away thanks to a goose egg in the second half.(3-3)

Pittsburgh: Steelers fans travel well, and on this day their team played well, picking up their first win of 2013. The defense was outstanding, holding the Jets to a pair of field goals, and finally turning over an opponent. They were the only league to not force a turnover through week 5. With no production on the ground, Ben Roethlisberger had a good game, completing 23 of 30 passes for 264 yards and a score. (1-4)

AFC South (Houston We Have a Problem)

Colts: A rare bad game for Indy, who managed just 3 Adam Vinatieri field-goals on Monday Night. Andrew Luck wasn’t so lucky on this night, with many big drops by his receivers. And yet he still had a chance in the 4th quarter, to drive his team on yet another comeback. But it wasn’t meant to be, throwing his only interception of the game with less than two to play. Reggie Wayne with a nice milestone in the loss, hitting the 1,000 reception mark and passing Steeler great Hines Ward on the all-time receptions list for 8th place. (4-2)

Titans: Tennessee made things tough on the Seahawks, something that’s hard to do in that home-field advantage Seattle boasts.They had plenty of chances to steal one, but when Ryan Fitzpatrick ties Chris Johnson for the team lead in rushing yards, you know things aren’t going well. Their lone touchdown came thanks to their special teams, who recovered a bad snap on a field goal to end the 1st half. (3-3)

Texans: Things went from bad to worse in Houston. Matt Schaubdidn’t throw a pick 6 for what would’ve been the 7th straight game, but he did leave late in the 3rd with a right ankle injuries. The beleaguered starting QB left to cheers from the Houston crowd, and was replaced by TJ Yates, who did throw a pick 6 of his own. (2-4)

Jaguars: It was probably their best game of the year, but in the end the Broncos were just too much for them. It was just a 2-point game mid-way through the 3rd, despite the crazy 28-point spread put on the game in Denver’s favor. Justin Blackmon had another good game, 190 receiving yards, thanks to a big day from Chad Henne, who threw for 2TDs and 303 yards. But the defense couldn’t stop the run game in the redzone, which was the difference. (0-6)

(AFC WEST) Where All the Undefeated Teams Reside

Broncos: Peyton Manning with his worth performance of the year, losing two fumbles and throwing his 2nd pick of the year. And still they won by 16. The big story was the performance of Knowshon Moreno, who rand for just 42 yards, but scored 3 rushing touchdowns. Talk about taking advantage in the red-zone. (6-0)

Chiefs: This team just can’t lose right now and it’s all thanks to their stellar defense. 10 sacks in one game is a lot no matter who you’re playing, but against a rival Oakland team that boasts a mobile quarterback, that’s just downright impressive. Tamba Ali racked up 3.5 of those. Alex Smith wasn’t good, but he didn’t need to be thanks to his defense and two touchdown runs by Jamaal Charles. Smith completed just 14 of 31 pass attempts for 128 yards, but didn’t turn the ball over, which is exactly what head coach Andy Reid wants. (6-0)

Chargers: Nick Novak kicked 3 big field goals to help bounce back from a tough loss to Oakland last week. The offense didn’t turn the ball over, and the lone touchdown of the day was thrown to rookie Keenan Allen, who had another big day. Their lone forced turnover sealed the win late in the 4th quarter. Ryan Matthews broke a string of 23 straight games without a 100-yard rusher for San Diego. (3-3)

Raiders: Terrelle Pryor got little help from his offensive line. He was sacked 10 times. Their lone touchdown, a 39-yard strike to Denarius Moore, actually gave them a 2nd quarter lead. Pryor threw three picks, one for a Kansas City score, and saw his offense shutout in the 2nd half.(2-4)

So that’s a wrap on week 6. Week 7 kicks off on Thursday Night Football with an NFC West Showdown. The Seahawks are in Arizona for a date with the Cardinals.

The quarter pole of the season is here, and there are still 4 winless teams and 5 perfect teams.

Green Bay and Carolina were both on bye weeks, and enter week 5 at 1-2.

Let’s start with the have-nots (0-4)

Jaguars: Not surprised by this. The Colts are a better team, and Jacksonville just doesn’t have any weapons outside of MJD to get them going on offense. And Jones-Drew only carried for 23 yards. They held a rare lead in this one, 3-0 after 1. That’s where the positives ended.

Giants: I actually thought this was the type of game that would wake New York up. I was wrong. The offense continued to look lost, penalties killed their actual good drives and the defense wore down once again in the 2nd half. Now they head into division play with a high-powered Eagles offense.

Steelers: A trip to London couldn’t help, so another perennial playoff team that finds themselves in the cellar. It’s their first 0-4 start since 1968. Ben Roethlisberger had a good day throwing the ball, but 2 turnovers in a 7-point loss was the difference.

Buccaneers: They led 10-0 in the first half, but allowed the Cardinals to score 13 unanswered in the 4th quarter to leave Tampa winless. Rookie QB Mike Glennon couldn’t do any better than the benched Josh Freeman did.

Now for the big time haves (4-0)

Chiefs: They made easy work of the Giants, despite a bad 1st half from Alex Smith. Jamaal Charles had a big day, and the defense was great again.

Saints: They made it look easy against another undefeated team in the dolphins. They took their first possession and marched easily down the field for a TD, and a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. This after starting last year 0-4 last season. Drew Brees had his 10th game of over 400 passing yards, good for 2nd all-time behind Dan Marino’s 13.

Seahawks: It looked like Seattle would take their loss, until their defense shutdown Houston, allowing Russell Wilson to lead his team to 20 unanswered 2nd half points to take the 23-20 win in overtime. It’s the first 4-0 start in Seahawks history.

Broncos: Peyton Manning is a machine, starting off the season throwing for 16 touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was close early against Philly, but then the offense put up 31 in the 2nd half to complete another laugher, 52-20.

Patriots: This team continues to find ways to win. Win number 4 was costly, losing Pro-Bowler Vince Wilfork to a torn Achilles.

More teams feeling pretty good about themselves (3-1)

Colts: They won 37-3, but it wasn’t their best performance, getting off to a slow start in the first half. Trent Richardson scored his 2nd touchdown since coming over to Indianapolis, and combined for 125 yards on the ground with Donald Brown. Reggie Wayne and Coby Fleener had good days on the receiving end of Andrew Luck. The wide-out and tight-end combined for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 receptions.

Dolphins: They couldn’t keep pace with New England, losing big to Miami. Ryan Tannehill was picked off 3 times. The Saints offense was just too much for a good Miami defense.

Lions: I said I thought Detroit could hand Chicago their first loss, but I never thought it would be to the tune of a 40 spot. I thought it would be close late, with the home-field advantage tipping the scales for the Lions, but the usually stout Bears defense looked anything but. The game wasn’t as close as the 8-point win suggests.

Titans: Up 24-6, QB Jake Locker was carted off the field with a hip injury in the 3rd quarter. He left having thrown a career high 3 TDs. Cornerback Alterraun Verner had a big day, picking off 2 Geno Smith passes, as well as recovering a fumble.

Bears: 3-1 in the NFC North is a good place to be, but after a poor showing against Detroit, Chicago needs a big bounce back in week 5. The defense couldn’t stop Matt Stafford, and Jay Cutler was turnover prone.

.500 records at this point- good or bad? (2-2)

Bengals: The Browns have a good defense, but you have to score more than 6 points against a 1 win team. Giovani Bernard and BenJarvis Green-Ellis combined for just 50 yards on the ground. Andy Dalton threw a pick on a drive that could’ve given them the lead. He also fumbled twice, losing one.

Cardinals: They were lucky to play a bad bucs team, who let them come back from an early 10-point deficit. Cornerback Patrick Peterson was the star, with two interceptions. Larry Fitzgerald with his 80th TD reception.

49ers: San Fran bounced back in a big way on Thursday Night Football, easily taking down St Louis 35-11. Frank Gore picked up his 1st 100-yard rushing game of the season (finished with 153 and a TD) and the defense picked up 5 sacks and two turnovers.

Jets: They didn’t look good at home against the now 3-1 Titans, but 2-2 under a rookie QB is nothing to scoff at. Smith was picked off twice, and fumbled twice.

Bills: EJ Manuel didn’t look good, throwing 2 interceptions and a lost fumble but he was helped out by his defense and a big day on the ground. Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller combined for 164 yards and a TD on 39 carries.

Chargers: A Richard Marshall fumble recovery in the endzone with 2:42 to go in regulation helped seal the win for San Diego. The defense is woke up in the 2nd half, pitching a zero, allowing for the comeback victory.

Cowboys: They’re still in first place in the East, but that’s not saying much for the leagues worst division through week 4. Dez Bryant had a huge 1st half for Dallas, but the wide-out and the rest of the offense were shut out in the 2nd half.

Browns; Don’t look now but Cleveland is on a win streak. Brian Hoyer looked good in his 2nd start in the place of the injured Brandon Weedon, and Jordan Cameron is emerging as a top tight-end in the NFL. And the defense was huge, limiting the Cincy to just 269 total yards.

Ravens: Baltimore couldn’t complete a 2nd half comeback, thanks in large part to 5 Joe Flacco turnovers. It was another bad day on the ground, with Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce combining for just 24 yards on 9 carries. Torrey Smith had a big day, 166 yards and a TD.

And finally the 1 win teams (1-3)

Vikings: They’re the happiest of this group, picking up their first win of the year. Sure it was against the winless Steelers, but Adrian Peterson got going again, and Matt Cassel looked good in place of the injured Christian Ponder.

Falcons: A team I thought needed to make a serious Superbowl run looks bad early. They are having trouble closing out games. And with a much improved Saints team in the South, Atlanta needs to right the ship quick.

Redskins: The only NFC East team to win on Sunday, the skins found away to rally back from a 14-0 1st quarter deficit to the Raiders. A big defensive TD helped Washington get their first win of the year. RG3 was held under 300 yards passing for the first time of the year, but it didn’t matter.

Eagles: They found a way to stay close to Denver in the 1st half, but then the Broncos turned it on in the 2nd. They had a good day on the ground, and Michael Vick had an okay day throwing the ball, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Rams: St Louis got absolutely nothing on the ground, forcing Sam Bradford to throw the ball 41 times. The Rams QB threw 1 touchdown, but also threw an interception and lost a fumble in the blowout loss to

Early Notes and Stats:

The NFC East has the worst combined record at 4-12, while the AFC West boasts 2 4-0 teams and an 11-5 record.

Peyton Manning leads the league with 16 TDs, giving Denver the leagues best total offense.

The Eagles rushing attack is getting them nearly 200 yards a game on the ground.

Atlanta’s Julio Jones leads the league with 481 receiving yards.

Houston’s 3rd year Linebacker Justin Houston has 7.5 sacks, tops in the NFL.